Representatives from 66 nations are convening today in the Caribbean nation of
St. Kitts and Nevis for the 58th meeting of the IWC to debate whether a 1986
global moratorium on whaling should be lifted, allowing whales to be hunted
commercially. A global community that fought hard to “Save the Whales” in the
1970s is holding its breath as a Japanese-led pro-whaling voting block attempts
to wrangle control of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) for the first
time.

Tension will be particularly high, as Japan may have amassed enough pro-whale
votes within the IWC to control the simple majority, though narrowly, through
what it calls its “vote consolidation” program. This would give Japan the power
to reverse many of the IWC’s whale conservation initiatives and to replace them
with those that support whaling, putting the world’s whales in the greatest
jeopardy they have faced since 1986 when the IWC whaling moratorium was put in
place.

“It is very likely that Japan may have finally realized
their long-held goal to establish a pro-whaling majority within the IWC,” said
IFAW Director of Wildlife and Habitat Protection, Dr. Joth Singh. “This would be
a tragedy for the whales and for the decades of critical conservation efforts
that have gone into protecting them.”

Though commercial whaling has
not been allowed since the 1986 moratorium went into place, Japan, Norway and
Iceland continue to hunt whales. Japan and Iceland do so in the name of
“science,” citing an IWC resolution that allows for lethal whale research. This
year, Japan has announced it will hunt more than 1,200 whales as part of what it
calls its “scientific” whaling program. Japan sells the whale meat commercially,
which it says is allowed as part of the IWC’s lethal whale research rules,
though the IWC has officially criticized these whaling
activities.

IFAW is calling on IWC members to take a strong stand
against commercial whaling at this year’s IWC meeting. To make your voice heard
in support of whales, visit IFAW’s campaign website www.stopwhalingnow.org today.